More Black Belt Stitching Wizard Stuff

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Here There and Everywhere

You'd think by the title of this post I was travelling, but nope! It just perfectly describes my attention span (or lack there of) when it comes to stitching these last few weeks. Or probably ADD is the best way to describe it.

I thought my last new start/finish would settle me down into one project but that didn't work. Since my last post I've worked on (and those who know me well know that I don't usually have a lot of WIPs on the go nor do I bounce around from project to project) :

Cirque Des Triangles by Ink Circles, I started this on my trip to the Dominican Republic at the end of February. These designs make fantastic travel projects, one thread colour and you don't have to hop all over the place. Over the last couple of years I've started one of these "Cirque" designs on my annual "work trip" to the DR. I'm stitching this on a piece of 32ct Queen Ann's Lace (which was disappointingly too "muddy" to stitch Spring Quakers on) with DMC 4022, which is a very striking combination and honestly makes me think of the ocean in the DR! I worked on this for about a week after my Peacock Alphabet finish and managed to stitch up page 3, this means the top half is done. I then promptly lost interest and put it away.

Next to see the light of day was The Big Red by The Silver Lining, I started this one many, many, many years ago and it has sat ignored until this past Christmas when I picked it up. During my focus time on this piece over the holidays I managed to work my way up from the middle to the top and I've stitched pages 1-4. This piece is being stitched over one on 25ct summer khaki lugana using a combination of DMC and Anchor floss. For about a night or two I plugged away on page 5, then it went away again.

Cranberry Christmas

Prairie Schooler

Stitched on 40ct Mellow from Picture This Plus

Stitched with DMC

Last week I decided, oh boy I haven't stitched an ornament in awhile!!! This year I've even managed to get out of my habit of the monthly Christmas Ornament which I have done for years and years! Some time ago I started stitching up the ornaments from Prairie Schooler's Cranberry Christmas chart. These are being stitched over two on 40ct linen from Picture This Plus with three colours of DMC. So this ornament got worked on for a couple of days, then put down for a new start (see what I mean! Serious ADD here!), but I promptly made myself pick it back up on Sunday which resulted in a Happy Dance that evening!

New start did I say that? Ahem yeah I did. So I've thrown yet another project in the mix (and by the way I have yet to admit to all of my WIPs to you). I've been talking with one of my stitching friends out our next Teresa Wentzler start and that it would be about a year out while I wait for Christin and Bonnie to FINISH The Fortunate Traveller (which I finished last year) so we can start Fantasy Triptych. During these discussions this friend mentioned she was hating the piece of fabric she started The Guardian on... So I thought on Friday I'd look at the chart in my stash, I knew I had it... well I had the kit... looking turned to sorting floss... sorting floss turned into a new start! This has managed to hold my attention for oh four days in a row now! Almost a record!

Tune in next time to see if I stick with The Guardian! (or follow me on Instagram for instant gratification @tkd_chick)

25 comments:

Congrats on the adorable finish Dani. I love the Triangles piece. That blue floss is gorgeous. Nice progress on The Big Red. Love your new start. We all love to see new starts and you can never have to many. I have 420.

TWs are beautiful cross stitch projects, I have one I've been working on for years but the blended colors always mean I only work on it for a little while. I'd love to see your progress on The Guardian.

How lovely to have such a sweet Happy Dance, my dear. I have to say that Cirque des Triangles is so very stunning - love the colour combos. As a very serious serial starter myself, all I have to say is, you go for it girl - enjoy every minute!

It's always nice to catch up with you, Dani!! I do love the thread in your Ink Circles piece--just lovely!! And your little PS finish is adorable. I may have to do that one, too, for my year of snowmen :)

What a great variety of projects to choose from. Love triangles, the blues are gorgeous, and they do remind me of water :) Nice start on Guardian too. As soon as I saw the picture I thought it reminded me of a TW piece and it turned out correct when I read your note on it. I'll really enjoy watching this one grow. In my stash are several of her designs, but I've never actually stitched one.

Hello, new follower here and I must comment on the beautiful triangle piece! I love the simplicity of a single color being used and design repeat. I know these projects can actually be the most challenging for some of us that have ADD and WIP's in the 100's. My husband says I do to many different crafts but I know it's the mark of a truly gifted individual lol ( thats just what I tell myself) anyways the main reason I'm commenting is I am ESTATIC to see actual hand stitched embroidery!! My gramma taught me and it was a lot of time well spent with her as well as one of my most cherished memories of her. It's really hard to find great sites or blogs that still promote this craft as nearly everything is now machine embroidered which is beautiful but I just feel like what's the rush? Where's the time spent with a loved one passing a long ago tradition down from generation to generation? I don't know but I happen to enjoy the results of my hands that painstakingly placed each stitch to my desire, imperfections and all! My husband has watched me do this many times over. With an autoimmune illness that has and will continue to degrade my joints giving me Rhuematoid arthritis, my loving, well meaning husband went out and purchased an embroidery machine that I couldn't even understand the price he paid for it! Well, it sits, brand new, in the beautiful case on wheels because he purchased classes as well... I'm horrified even complaining as he just wanted me to be able to create pain free. I'm very loved and taken care of...however I have yet to play with it and I really should but there's just something about hand embroidery that can never be duplicated, replicated or created by a machine. My boys will tell you it's love... When you create with your hands you embed your love for that person with each stitch... Maybe that's the missing piece for me. As I'm getting older, hitting the big 40 in a few weeks, my joints are getting worse so I should learn how to use it but now it's probably outdated since its been here for 4 years. Sad truth.

Lovely progress on Cirque! I would be interested in stitching Fantasy Triptych along with you.. I am currently working on Castle, definitely intend to finish it next year and Fantasy Triptych will be my next TW, I've had it kitted up forever.